The Dawn of a New Era

Scott Risley
1 Samuel 1-3

As the time of the Judges comes to a close, Hannah, a faithful servant of the Lord, as promised, offers her only child, Samuel, to the Lord to be His servant. Eli, an unfaithful priest, was unwilling to discipline his sons or show tough love. Samuel, when God calls, answers with, "Here I am!"

Living Diligently for God

Conrad Hilario
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

Paul reminds the Thessalonians to discipline the lazy among them. Paul presents himself as a model to follow in living diligently for the Lord. He cautions them to not treat the lazy as enemies but as brothers and sisters needing loving but firm admonishment.

Teaching from Your New Identity

Keira Williamson
2 Thessalonians 3:1-18

How does our identity in Christ affect our Bible teaching? This session will explore common pitfalls of misplaced identity and practicalities for how to speak from God's power.

Serving Love in the Body of Christ, Part Two

Dennis McCallum
1 Thessalonians 5:16-28

Dennis finishes up 1 Thessalonians 5 with the remaining imperatives of effective body life. He calls all Christians to rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks, not quench the Spirit, and have discernment on spiritual matters. It is not up to us to muster the ability to do these things, but for us to depend upon God to bring it to pass.

More Keys to Healthy Spiritual Community

Scott Risley
1 Thessalonians 5:16-28

Healthy spiritual community requires love relationships among fellow Christians as they also relate to a loving God. In these passages, the focus will be on the vertical relationship with God, us speaking to God and God speaking to us. This will involve the keys of rejoicing, praying, thanksgiving, being open to receiving input from the Holy Spirit and rejecting any form of evil.

Keys to Healthy Spiritual Community

Scott Risley
1 Thessalonians 5:12-15

The practical instruction Paul gives on building a successful spiritual community begins with having a relationship with God. It requires the right attitude toward spiritual leadership. And it requires each of us taking responsibility to help those around us to grow and working hard to make peace as conflicts arise.

Keep On Praying

Patrice McCormac
Luke 18:1-8

Praying at all times and not losing heart is the refusal to accept a situation "as is." Persistent prayer is the acknowledgement that God is powerful enough to change things and is loving enough to be willing to intervene. He went to great lengths to open a way for us to have a relationship with Him, proving His desire to hear from us.

Halftime

Jim Leffel
Jeremiah 25:1-11

Jeremiah was able to persevere through a difficult life because he kept his eyes fixed on God's plan for him. Today, we can persevere through our own lives by placing our faith in God and seeking His vision for us.

Living Stones

Ben Foust
1 Peter 2:4-10

As living stones in God's spiritual temple, we are a part of what God is doing in the world. As living stones we are different, serve together, and have purpose.